1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle planning support system utilizing a computer, and more particularly to a vehicle planning support system in which target performance values are set for each planned vehicle evaluation item based on vehicle data for an existing vehicle.
2. Conventional Art
Conventionally, vehicle planning was generally implemented through written descriptions by product planning departments, with consideration for marketing and the like. At the vehicle planning stage, packaging was determined and distinctive vehicles were proposed based on ideas only. However, the lack of review of specific structures at the planning stage meant that development work was begun without the benefit of certainty with respect to many performance features of the planned vehicle.
Once received from the product planning department, the proposed planned vehicle was then separately reviewed by the styling department, the design department, the manufacturing department, and the like. This led to the need for backtracking during development to do redesign and the like after the planning stage. Since there were many opposing considerations between each of the departments, there was a further need to made adjustments and compromises between the various departments, modifying the planned vehicle accordingly. This resulted in a tendency toward ordinary, undistinguished planned vehicles. Large amounts of time were also consumed in making these types of adjustments.
In general, not determining a specific structure for the planned vehicle made it difficult to validate planned vehicle performance. For this reason, further review through CAE, testing, and the like were conducted by the design department, leading to further refinement of drawings, based upon which prototype vehicles were then fabricated and validated through testing.
In Japanese Patent 2004-042747, the present applicant proposed a program for testing the feasibility of a planned vehicle in the planning stage.
Further improvements are needed, however, in order to plan vehicles which match ever more diverse customer needs, and to shorten design stages, reduce the number of prototype vehicles and testing, and shorten new vehicle development time.